HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INSTALL A DIGITAL BILLBOARD?

So, you’ve done your research on digital billboards and realize it’s a worthwhile venture and sound business investment.

Whether you’re a new independent billboard advertiser or an independent that’s new to Formetco, one of your first questions will be “how long will it take to install my digital billboard?”

You might be surprised to learn how quickly it can happen! The short answer is four to six weeks. That’s basically a month and a half. However, it’s important to note that several steps need to be taken along the way by both you, the client and us, the billboard manufacturer.

In this post, we’ll explain the responsibilities of each party to help you plan and get ready for the launch of your new outdoor advertising project.Follow along as we explain the entire process for a successful turn-key installation of your digital billboard.

The contract has been inked. Now what? At Formetco, here’s what we do.

Once it’s official, your digital billboard order is sent to a scheduler and project coordinator who in turn assigns it to an engineer.He or she then creates your drawings before your screen is sent to production. The project coordinator also lines up a technician to be on board for the day of installation and hires the necessary subcontractors. They also work with our accounting department on billing and time estimates, which are shared with you. From start to finish, you can expect constant communication from your Formetco team and that even includes the sales person you worked with to order your digital billboard. Our process includes lots of hand holding and buy-in from every division of our company. Simply put, we excel at that!

In the meantime, what do you do?

After you’ve selected your outdoor advertising location, you’ll need to work with your city and/or county to get a permit. Next, you’ll seek out and hire a structure manufacturer to design engineered drawings. You’ll also pay a deposit, set-up the install date for the structure and insure that it will be in the ground by the time your digital board is scheduled to arrive! You’ll also set up the installation of a digital crane and schedule its operator and team. Finally you’ll hire an electrician, who will make the final connections. All of the above must be done before shipping your digital billboard, which actually takes only two to five days.

Designing your digital billboard. Behind the scenes.

Once your board has been built, it’s time to put it to the test. Performing an extensive quality control check, your new LED is run at full brightness to ensure the product reflects the highest of quality before it leaves our production floor. Once that task has been completed to satisfaction, it’s time to pack it up and put it on a truck!

How is your digital billboard shipped?

Did you know that your digital screen will be shipped in pieces? Why is that, you ask. First of all, in order to fit on a truck, it needs to lay flat.. Secondly, breaking down your large screen into smaller pieces allows you, our client, to save money by ordering a smaller crane for when it comes time to install it. This is one example of how Formetco works smart to save you money. But that’s another blog post for another day!

A smaller crane can lift these smaller pieces onto your billboard structure. Also, if having an on-time installation is important to you, putting up smaller pieces instead of one giant screen ensures there will be no cancellation. With high winds and poor weather conditions, a larger screen installation might have to be cancelled. If you’re a client who likes to keep your projects on time and on budget, we think you’ll like this!

Just how big are these digital billboards?

• Bulletinsare elongated skinnier rectangles either 14’ x 48’ wide or 10’6” x 36’ wide. Ships in four sections.

• Postersare more square either 10’ x 20’ wide or 12’ x 24’ wide. Ships in two sections.

How long does the Installation process take? And what all goes into it?

One to two weeks before your digital billboard arrives, you’ll have a kick-off meeting/call with Formetco to make sure all boxes are checked and to help you get ready for the big day.

And what a day it is for our clients and their community! The process is a snap and takes about four to five hours tops. Along with a software trainer and production manager, Formetco also sends a technician as your insurance policy. The technician can repair anything that might need fixing after being shipped from our headquarters in Duluth, Georgia to anywhere in the United States.

As we mentioned above, two to four screens are then hung (depending on the size of your board) one piece at a time. Did you know they actually snap together like Legos? Your modern looking LED will go straight to the edge as it attaches to the back of the structure with clips that literally suck it to an I Beam like magic. Here are pics from a challenging two sided 14x48 digital sign installation on the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida.

You’ll also be glad to know that your ad content can be preloaded. That means that your digital billboard will be ready to go to work for you the second it’s installed. It’s good news for your business and will make your clients happy, too.

What happens once your digital billboard is installed?

Your Formetco outdoor digital billboard comes with a ten year parts and brightness guarantee. Foot by foot tiles make up the display and outages do occur occasionally. So, we set aside 2% of spare parts for you. That way, when a tile goes out, it’s easy to replace.

Now that we’ve explained how long it takes to install a digital billboard, let’s recap what you get.

• A superior outdoor digital billboard made to order and fully customizable with lots of options including those for security and imprinting

• Unrivaled customer service with constant, ongoing consultative customer service provided each and every step of the way

• Cost saving measures such as the way we ship our billboards in pieces for a budget friendly and on-time installation

• Faster turnaround time - four to six weeks - compared to most competitors - 10-24 weeks. We can install your billboard in more than half the time!

• Made to order customizable billboards that come with lots of options including those for security and imprinting

• A strong network of certified contractors and 50 years of leadership in the outdoor advertising business

Welcome to the Formetco family! Let us know how we can help you make your digital outdoor advertising vision a reality.

Maybe you’re a family business and like that we are, too. Perhaps you appreciate how we cater to independents and not venture capitalists! It could also be the peace of mind you’ll have with our full-service consultative approach as we lead you through the process in a clear, thorough and organized way. Or, you simply appreciate our strong network of certified contractors that comes with 50 years of leadership experience in the out-of-home advertising business. Whatever your reason for choosing to work with us, one thing is for sure. When your outdoor company entrusts us with your business, you become a part of the Formetco family for life. We take that seriously. And we’re committed to delivering the highest quality product on time to you and for the very best value.